Tooth, crown, bridge, and the like



l. MASEL.

TOOTH, CROWN, BRIDGE, AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION nuso AUG- 16, 1919.

1,372,080. Patented Mar. 22,1921.

Inrbenior':

fiaaaT/Mmsfej WW UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC MASEL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

TOOTH, CROWN, BRIDGE, AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 22, 1921.

Application filed August 16, 1919. Serial No. 317,854.

production of new and useful crowns and bridges for teeth, and more particularly to the making of the cusps therefor.

One of the objects of my invention consists in stamping or embossing cusps of uniform and homogeneous material, in solid formation instead of hollow or shell like.

Another object of my invention is to pro duce an improved bridge structure comprising my improved artificial teeth members and in which is also embodied my improved cus by first swaging a thin piece of sheet metal, usually of gold, platinum, silver or an alloy thereof, into contact with a die for forming a hollow or shell like cusp member which is later soldered to the ring or band of the crown. The cusp member may then be filled with an alloy, cementitious material or like substances of an inferior degree of uality to that of the material constituting tie cusp member. Hence when the crown is being fitted to the tooth, any grinding of the cusp or cusps, made necessary for the proper shaping thereof and of the crown in general, results, due to the thinness of the material of the cusp member, in the exposure of the inferior cusp filling or alloy. When, however, the cusp members are not filled it may readily be seen that when grinding the cusp the tooth will be exposed (Jrowns for teeth have beenusually made bers from relatively thick pieces of sheet or strip metal by cutting and stamping or die pressing or suitably embossing the same into the desired shape. I am enabled thereby to produce a very large number of uni- 'formly made cusp members in a relatively short period of time and at considerably reduced cost. All of such cusp members are solid, of uniform shape and weight and of homogeneous material. Moreover, the pres sing of the material .also adds to the hardness and toughness of the stamped 0r embossed cusp members. I prefer, in stamping these members, to make the inner or unexposed surface thereof flat, although such surface may be made concave or convex or otherwise shaped to suit the purposes for which the cusps may be intended t be 'used. The exposed surface, that is, the chewing surface, "of the cusp member, howthe tooth to be crowned; as for example, in the case of molar teeth such surfaces would comprise two or more cusps.

My invention further includes all the other various novel features of construction hereinafter more fully disclosed.

In the accompanying drawing in which I haveillustrated several ways of applying my invention, Figure 1 shows in elevation an unfinished die pressed cusp blank and Fig. 2 a finished cusp blank and a crown band or ring before joining the same together. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a crown with my improved cusp member and the band or ring joined together and Fig. 4 is an elevation of the same. Fig. 5 is an elevation of my improved bridge partially in section comprising my improved cusp and artificial teeth members, and Fig. 6 is a top plan view: thereof. Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional detail view of an artificial tooth comprising my improved cusp member, and Fig. 8 is a perspective view thereof showing the formation of a molar cusp surface. Fig. 9 is a view in vertical elevation partially in section of a modified form of bridge comprising relatively flat tooth members embodying my improved cusps; Fig. 10 is a vertical sectional detail view of one of the tooth members shown in Fig. 9, and Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the same showing the formation of ,a molar cusp surface. Fig. 12 is a vertical elevation of a bridge applied to natural or artificial teeth and comprising my improved cusp member Fig.

ever, is of the shape of the cusp surface of 13 is a top plan view thereof; Fi 14, a transverse section on line l4:'14 in Fig. 12, and Fig. 15, a transverse section of a tooth showing another method of applying one of my improved cusp members thereto.

Referring now more especially to Figs. 1 to 1 inclusive the cusp member 1 is stamped or die pressed from a relatively thick sheet or strip of metal into the shape or form shown in Fig. 1. As the blank comes from the pressing machine the same will usually have a thin fin o flange which may be removed to produce the finished cusp member 1 shown in Fig. 2. The dies of the presscusp member on one surface with a configuration or contour like that appearing on the cusp end of the tooth to be crowned. This cusp member is made solid throughout and compressed to form the protuberances or cusps 3, 4 and'5 as indicated in Fig. 2, and isprovided with a flat surface 6 referred to above as the inner orunexposed surface to suitably abut against the lower end? of a crown band or ring 8 to which it is soldered in the usual manner. These members are shown in elevation in Fig. 2 just prior to joining the same together and are shown in section and joined. together in Fig. 3, the

finished crown being shown in elevation in Fig. 4. Any grinding that may be necessary upon the cusp portions for the purpose of properly shaping the same to conform to the other teeth, or for any other reason, will not produce an exposure of any inferior material, such as the filling found in the shell like member, since my improved cusp member is solid and of homogeneous material.

In Figs. 5 to 11 inclusive isshown a bridge comprising the anchoring crowns 9 and 10 and the intervening artificial tooth members 11 and 12 all of which are also provided with my improved cusp members 13 and 14; in the same manner as described above in connection with the production of a crown shown in Figs. 1 to 4: inclusive. In constructing the bridge, the anchoring crowns are made in the same way as the crown above described and between these crowns are interposed the artificial tooth members comprising hollow cup shaped elements shown in Figs. 5 to S inclusive. These elements abut with their lower edges- 15 against'the flat surface 17 of the cusp members 13 and 14 and are suitably soldered thereto in the usual manner. Between these members and the anchoring crowns is fused or otherwise suitably united thereto suitable material, such as solder 18, in such manner as to provide smooth curved blending surfaces in all directions, without the occur'rence'of any crevices or corners in which food may be deposited, the relatively low height of the intervening members compared to the height of the anchoring crowns facilitating cleaning. These intervening mg machine are so shaped as to emboss the members 11 or 12 shown more clearly in Figs. 7 and 8 correspond to artificial teeth, but the cusp members are not limited in their configuration to the molar surface as shown but may conform to other types of teeth surfaces, such as the bicuspid teeth.

In Figs. 9 to 11 inclusive is shown a bridge similar to that shown in Figs. 5 and (3 with the exception that the intermediate tooth members 19 are substantially flat on the top and'are of relatively less height than the members 11 and 12. These members 19 are also joined together and to the anchoring crowns 9 and 10 in the same way as in the form shown in Figs. 5 and 6. By constructing a bridge with this type of intermediate tooth members a greater space is provided between the gums and the members 19 for the self cleansing and sanitary purposes mentioned above.

In Figs. 12 and 1% inclusive are shown teeth 23. which may represent natural or artificial teeth, with my improved cusps applied thereto. In this bridge work I provide anchoring crown members 20 and 21 with connecting bridge member disposed at the rear of the teeth 23 as a backing therefor and comprising a crown strip for each of the teeth 2.) connected thcrcto by means of pins or pegs 2S suitably anchored in the sprockets 25) provided in the teeth 23. The pegs may also protrude beyond the strips 2'? into the alloy or bar 22 for attaching or anchoring the latter thereto. At the base of the teeth 23 are located the solid die pressed cusp members 21 with their inner-or unexposed flat surfaces 25 abutting or engaging the lower flat surface 26 of the bridge member or alloy 22. Suitable metal such as solder or the like may be applied in the space between the teeth 23 for the purpose of more firmly securing the bridge member 22 to the teeth 23. In the form of bridge shown in Figs. 12 and 13 the anchoring member 21 is wholly of metal while the anchoring member 20 is partly a crown 20 and partly a tooth 23 with a cusp member 24- secured to the crown band of the member 20 and corn nected to the lower end of the tooth 23 in the same way as the cusp 2 1 is secured to the other members. It may be noted also that the anchoring member 21 is also provided with a solid cusp 24 secured thereto in the same manner as shown in Figs. 2 to 1 inclusive.

In Fig. 15 is shown another application of my improved cusp to a natural or artificial tooth 1G, to the rear of which is located or attached a crown or bridge strip 22, the lower end of the tooth being ground fiat to receive the unexposed flat surface 25 of the cusp member 25. The bridge member 22 may be suitably soldered to the cusp member 23 as at 30 and pins flll lOO

lll)

. together.

31 may be utilized to secure the parts Solder or the like may be applied in the space between the teeth 16 for the purpose of more firmly securing the bridge or crown member 22 thereto.

Ordinarily in the construction of crowns or bridges havinga hollow cusp member, the latter and the band may be of twentyt'wo carat gold while the alloy filling of the member is usually of inferior material,

such as twenty carat alloy. When joining the filled cusp member and the band a lower grade of solder, such as eighteen carat, is used in order not to melt the filling in the cusp mamber, and when the crowns are thereafter united to a bridge or similar part, a

a still lower grade of solder, such as sixteen carat alloy, must be employed in order not to melt the eighteen carat solder used between the cusp member and the crown.

By constructing crowns and bridge members with my improved cusps, I can somewhat shorten this process by the omission of one of the soldering steps, and may also employ solder of a superior grade inasmuch as since the alloy filllng is not used, I am able to solder the solid cusp member to the band with the twenty carat alloy and the crown to others or to a bridge part with eighteen carat alloy, thus omitting the third soldering step which is necessary when filling alloy in the cusp member is used, and, as my cusp members are made solid from stamped material, the step of filling the cusp with filling material is eliminated.

While I have disclosed herein one embodiment of my invention and several ways of utilizing or applying the same I desire it to be understood, however, that my invention is not to be limited to the particular details disclosed but that the same may be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described by invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent is:

l. A pressed solid homogeneous relatively thick metal cusp member, adapted to be attached to a portion of a tooth, crown or bridge, having a flat surface on one side and a pressed embossed surface on the other side and an outline to conform to said tooth, crown or bridge Jortion.

2. In dental bridge work, the combination of united hollow metal anchor and bridge members, said anchor member open at one end and provided with a rim at the other end thereof and said bridge member closed at one end and provided with a rim at the other end thereof, metal cusp members attached to said rims and conforming in outline to said anchor and bridge members re spectively at the rims thereof, whereby a light strong hollow bridge work is produced.

In witness whereof, I hereunto set my hand this 12th day of August, 1919.

ISAAC MASEL. 

